Summary - Jan gives Michael the news that Dunder Mifflin cannot have both a Stamford and a Scranton branch. So there will be downsizing. all the office is concerned on who will go. This episode introduces Ryan to the office.

Oh My Lord Moment - Jan is holding a small meeting in Michael's office with Michael and Pam taking notes. Michael takes a call during the meeting from Todd Packer, obnoxious sales rep and one of Michael's friends. Todd unaware that Jan in the room says "Hey you big queer.......(when talking about Jan), hey Michael does the carpet match the drapes?" Michael says "Oh that is horrifying."

Semi-Oh My Lord Moment - Michael pretending to play a prank on Pam in front of Ryan. Michael accuses Pam of stealing post-it notes and has to fire her. Knowing Pam in the future it is hard to believe that she fell for this one, considering how bad a liar Michael is and how he is kinda laughing through the whole thing. But she does and when she finds out he is kidding she calls him "a jerk", which is one of the only time Pam calls Michael names.

Dwight - We see the first prank played between Jim and Dwight. Jim puts Dwights stapler in Jello. When Dwight insists Michael do something about him, Jim feigns his normal innocence.

My opinion - Well since this is the first episode and was shot months before the rest of the show began there are mostly appearance differences. Michael's hair is the most obvious to me. He has it slicked straight back which actually makes him look older, more of a slimy type of boss and somewhat balding. After that episode Steve Carell wears his hair on the show more like he wears it in real life which makes him look younger, and not so slick and suave.

Everyone looks less made up and more plain. Pam is insanely timid in the first episode as compared to even other ones in the first season where she seems to gain more confidence.

Jim and Pam - You find out that Pam doesn't want to spend her whole life being a receptionist and wants to be an illustrator. We find out Jim likes her drawings and knows her favorite flavor of yogurt, mixed berry. It doesn't take a genius to find out from this episode that he has quite a crush on her, and when he tries to get her to go out with the whole staff that evening, we are introduced to her fiance Roy, who doesn't seem to care about doing anything that Pam wants to. The first of Jim's many frustrations with her relationship is shown in the end of this episode.

Not much happens with the downsizing, that is for a much later show. And you don't get to see the supporting cast very much. The show ends unlike any other episode in the future; with Jim putting Michael's World's Best Boss cup in jello and the show playing out the theme music. But it was a nice way to introduce everyone.

On the eve of the first of September we begin the official countdown to The Office premiere. This is my favorite show of all time and a big hit in our household. With the writer's strike last year, I suffered immensely at having an abbreviated season. I am hoping for a long full season, with plenty of inappropriate comments, over the top conference room meetings, Dwight Dwight Dwight, and a little bit of Jam to make it all sweet.

I would have loved to have reviewed each episode from the day it premiered, but I didn't have a blog then. So I thought I would recap them all now and get some of you caught up in what should be a staple tv show in your household.

Also The Office Season 4 dvd comes out on September 2nd, a must buy for all the blooper and extra footage.

The Office follows the behaviors, situations and antics of the employees of Dunder Mifflin, a mid-level paper supply company in Scranton, PA. It is shot in documentary style and has no live audience. So you actually have to be intelligent and figure out for yourself what is funny.

The cast of characters:

Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is the Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton. Is an expert at saying the wrong things at the wrong time. On a constant mission to be everyone's friend and accidentally alienating them at the same time.

Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) is the Assistant To The Regional Manager. An uptight, over the top beet farmer, with a passion for Lord of The Rings and being a Lackawanna County volunteer sheriff.

Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) is the cute office sales rep, who loves to play pranks on Dwight and has a secret crush on the receptionist.

Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer) is the aforementioned receptionist at Dunder Mifflin. She timid, lacks self-confidence, loves to draw and is engaged to warehouse employee Roy for over three years.

Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) is a Dunder Mifflin accountant, who is rigid, very religious, a serious worker and having a secret relationship with Dwight Schrute.

Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) is another DM accountant, who tolerates Michael's antics, and is in the closet from the rest of the office.

Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner) is the last of the three DM accountants, a goofy, child like man, who loves strippers, sports gambling and eating candy.

Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton) DM quality control/hippie/thief/shiester/man of some of the strangest comments on the planet. Doesn't remember anyone's name.

Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery) is the office alcoholic. Known to flash at company parties and drink hand sanitizers for the alcohol content.

Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) is dippy, airy, celebrity obsessed customer service rep. Constantly clinging to office boyfriend, Ryan.

Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) is the company temporary employee. A business college student who can't figure out how he got stuck at DM. The object of Michael Scott's affection.

Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin) is Michael's boss, and the deflector of many of Michael's inappropriate antics.

Roy Anderson (David Denman) is a warehouse employee who has been engaged to Pam Beesley for over three years, and lacking in attentiveness to her.

Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson) is the warehouse manager. A man who enjoys teaching Michael imaginary hood phrases.

Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker), as Michael once called him something like "A Sassy, loveable, older black gentleman". Lives for pretzel day and crossword puzzles.

Phyllis Lapin (Phyllis Smith) is the older female sales rep with a love for Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration, Dunder Mifflin's business neighbor.

Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) is the dreary and worn out human resources employee. The employee Michael loves to hate, as he constantly gets in the way of Michael's inappropriate ideas.

Well this is a four day weekend for me. And with not alot of coupons in this week's papers, it game me more free time to come up with some deals and to have more time to make trips to CVS.

Today I made two trips. First one to my favorite CVS, where I was out to get the Suave body wash and the free Atkins bars. I like to get over to the store on Sunday's around 9am. But due to sleeping in a bit late I didn't get there until 10 am, and low and behold someone wiped them out of the Atkins bars. So we just stuck with the Suave body wash.

6 Suave body washes $2.00 each = $12.00

Total = $12.00

Coupons
(3) Buy one get one free on Suave body washes
(2) .75 cents off Suave body wash (I didn't have one more, darn)
(1) $2.00 off any purchase of $10.00 at CVS

ECB's used $2.00

Total out of pocket $1.06
Earned $4.00 in ECB's

So I have tons more body washes now and I have plenty of my husband's favorite kind, the coconut scent.

Then on my way back from my favorite CVS, I hit the other store that I am not that much of a big fan of. They are a busier store, so they run out of stuff more, and they don't always have everything entered into their system on time. But I was determined to find those Atkins bars, since they were free. Well I found out they have a much better clearance section than my usual store.

7 Atkins bars $1.00 = $7.00
1 bag of 250 ct. flexible straws $1.50 (clearance 75 % off) = .50 cents
6 Bonnie Bell chapsticks .75 (clearance 75 % off) .25 cents = $1.50

Total = $9.00

Coupons
(7) $1.00 off Atkins bars

Used no ECB's (I left them in the car, yikes)
Total out of pocket $2.00
No ECB's

I was still happy with this take. I got bars for my husband's lunches and tons of chapstick. A staple in my purse. I have several more trips planned for the rest of my long weekend. Its nice to have this free time.

Well, its almost September, which is a good thing, cause I am very tired of watching reruns. I want my favorite shows back on with new episodes, and I want it now.

I always have so many comments and opinions after I see my favorite shows but had nowhere and no one to share it with, until now. I am going to recap each of my shows after their airing and give you my thoughts on the episode. Ones I will be reviewing - The Office, My Name Is Earl, and The Girls Next Door. I know, where the heck did The Girls Next Door come from in that list. Its my ultimate guilty pleasure.

I do not like any reality show where there are immunity idols, tribes, voting people off the island or out of the house. The only reality shows I like are the documentary style ones that follow people around and The Girls Next Door is like watching three Barbies, its just fun.

But I would love you to contribute. Do you have a favorite show that you would like to recap after each new episode, maybe Lost, or Gossip Girl, or 24? Let me know and you might get to be the guest blogger on my site for your show.

The winner of our coupon giveaway is Honey. I will be contacting her today by e-mail to get her address so I can start sending her the coupons. Congratulations. Thanks to everyone for entering.

Some things I call "4 Star Stockups". The things in our household we can't have enough of and am very excited to stock up when the situation happens. Some of those include dog and cat food, cat litter, bath wipes, Scotch lint rollers and last but not least tampons.

Not a beautiful topic, but needed none the less. When I first started CVS'ing I wasn't doing too well at getting a nice stock of them. But after a bit they started to accumulate bit by bit. What would help my stock get even bigger is if CVS would ever increase their limits on the good tp deals. Most of the time the limit is 1 or 2. So my stock keeps building slowly.

This week was the week of the period, as all of CVS'ers were joking about. Thank dog I got a woman cashier this week, and didn't traumatize a poor teenage boy at ringing up this catch.

2 boxes 40 ct OB tampons = $9.00
1 box Playtex Gentle Glide tampons = $4.99
1 box Kotex Lightday Liners = $1.49

Total = $15.48

Coupons
(1)$1.00 off any Kotex product
(2)$1.50 off any OB tampon
(1)$2.00 off any purchase of $10.00 at CVS

ECB's used $8.00

Total out of pocket paid $1.48
Earned $9.49 in ECB's

Mistake made here, as I forgot one of my coupons, so it should be have been only .48 cents, but I won't nitpick as it still wasn't a bad deal.

Ahhh where did we leave off, pizza, yum, yes, deep dish pizza at Uno's. So after we stuffed our faces, we went home and rested up. Later that evening we ate at this great little place called Take Five, where everything on the menu was $5.00 and I thought it was very good.

We were starving when we got to Navy Pier so we stopped in the food court to get a hot dog. I can't remember for the life of me what was the name of the stand we stopped by, but they have every kind of hot dog under the sun. My dad, brother and husband got the Chicago dog and I tried the Michigan dog, which was loaded with sauerkraut and a spicy mustard. Both were delicious.

Our main purpose to go to Navy Pier was to see The Dark Knight at the Imax theater there. The shows were sold out, so good thing we ordered ours online about a week before we got there. During the line to wait for the theater to open, we were subjected to listening to a pirate show on a nearby stage in the mall and about 500 screaming children loving it. My poor husband, between the sold out crowd (he hates to see movies with lots of people) and the screaming kids I thought he was going to leave.


The next day the Chicago Cubs were home for a game. We didn't really want to spend the money for tickets but wanted to see what the action is like. So my husband, dad and I took another walk down to Wrigley Field. It was absolutely packed, but everyone was really great. We bought some Cubs souvenirs, had lunch at a great Mexican tapas restaurant called Moe's Cantina and bought some chocolate at Nuts on Clark to help satisfy my sweet tooth.

Right across the street from Wrigley's Field is a McDonald's. I was the first one to notice that they had a huge egg outside in the parking lot. I swore when we first got there that I saw that it was cracked open, but later the first day we went by it again and it was closed. I think my dad and husband thought I was nuts. So when we went to the game on Friday it was open. I guess it stays open long enough for breakfast there and then closes up. I had to take a picture, it was so cool. Later that night we ate at Charlie's Ale House, a very nice pub type restaurant with good comfort food.